Before & After: A Not-Touched-Since-the-1960s House Get a Gorgeous (and Respectful) Update
Hillary and Johnny Musselman weren’t looking to buy a house when they went antique hunting at an estate sale a year ago… but when they saw that this space hadn’t been touched since the 1960s, they jumped at the chance to purchase this architectural gem.
“There are many architectural elements that we love about this house, but the front living room windows were what cinched us putting in our offer two seconds after walking through the door,” they wrote on Instagram.
They’ve spent the time since purchasing renovating the home to modernize the look a bit and add their own stamp on the space, but they’ve also been careful to respect the structure’s history, too.
“The architect of our house was E. Davis Wilcox, who led the mid-century modern development of both residential and commercial properties in Tyler, Texas, in the 1950s and 1960s.”
“Some of his other projects that are still standing include buildings on the Tyler Junior College campus and the Tyler Art Museum,” Hillary explains.
“We’re only the second homeowners and are SO thankful that the home hadn’t been touched by some of the fatal design moments of the last 50 years since it was finished in 1965; we’re still amazed by the natural wood built-in cabinets in the living room that are adorned in turquoise and brass hardware (matching fish handles on the entryway doors).”
“We found some of his original blueprint sketches in a kitchen drawer when we moved in and while a few details changed between that round of design and what exists as the final product today, the blueprint is pretty exact.”
“We restored the house with the intention to make it comfy for our daily routine (such as removing the original carpet and installing a few ceiling fans, hello Texas summers!), but we feel that we’re stewards of this historic property and that every decision should be made to maintain the architect’s vision.”
The couple tackled a lot of work in the kitchen, including removing the original range hood (the couple says it was the “same size as the island”), as well as the fiberglass ceiling tiles and square lights. They added recessed lighting, and painted to freshen the space.
According to their house tour survey, the biggest challenge to the home’s remodel was the flooring. “The concrete slab was poured at different levels, lower in some rooms to accommodate the original carpet to then be the same height as the tile floors… it’s been a beast to work around,” they wrote.
Thanks, Hillary and Johnny!